- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0i/60kW Hybrid, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
180kW (comb), 137Nm
- Fuel
Hybrid (91) 1.9L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
5 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Aspire Phev Hybrid Review
I have owned this car for over a year now and cannot talk highly enough about it. I had been waiting for a suitable hybrid to come to the marked that I could actually fit my mountain bike into as well as carrying some big loads when required. My driving is mostly around town with the odd 200km trip once a month. Well the Outlander PHEV fit this bill perfectly and I haven’t regretted it.
- Silence, Instant torque, Adaptive Cruise control / collision mitigation, Space, Drive for free when charging from solar
- Multimedia system, No lane departure warning, No auto dimming rear view mirror
This car is a plug in hybrid and you have to treat it as such. There are reviews out there that have marked this car down and this is mainly because they have not used it as it was intended (or been in the right frame of mind). One of these was when the reviewer stopped charging it because they couldn’t be bothered and then marked it down due to performance/engine noise or something.
The truth is once you get used to plugging in the car when you get home it becomes second nature and you don’t even think about it. I rarely venture to the petrol station and it is sometimes hard to remember the last time the engine started. Being able to sit in the car with the aircon or heater on and not have the car running is pure bliss. The car is super silent while driving under electric power and this allows you to have the windows open and enjoy nature when you go out into the country side.
There is a button that you can press to save the present battery level and this can be used to your advantage as not to use up the battery power on the motorway and save it for stop start or scenic driving. Regenerative braking works really well and is adjustable to your preference. I like being able to reap back some kW after I have climbed a hill/mountain (or even in traffic) and savings are substantial.
Charging for the car is done via a standard 10A power point in my garage and takes about 5 hours from empty. I have solar panels installed and thus I have set the car to charge during the day and this costs me practically nothing and works well for weekend driving. If I were to use the car for commuting I would set it up on cheap off peak power (like your hot water system) and let it charge during the night while you sleep.
The instant torque and gearless transmission is another huge advantage. No CVT or gearbox, just acceleration! When going up steep inclines or towing this makes things super easy. The road on my street is very steep and the PHEV climbs this effortlessly and in silence every time. Every time I see a diesel guzzling, noisy (new) BMW drive up my street I just cannot fathom why people persist with these outdated things.
Servicing is Mitsubishi fixed price for 5 years and this also includes free roadside assist. There is no spare tyre included however it isn’t really needed as you can just call roadside assist to come fix it for you. I did purchase a spare for $300 for a road trip to far north QLD as would have been a pain waiting for roadside assist to come out, however for the average punter it will not be required.
The adaptive cruise control is an awesome feature and combined with the collision mitigation is a life saver. These should be standard on all cars. The effort it takes off the driver to safely drive the car is amazing.
The only thing I would like to see improved is the multimedia system. It is quite slow to start up and tricky to go through the menus, however the GPS maps work well and I haven’t had a problem with navigation.
The Myoutlanderphev.com forum has really opened my eyes on what this car is capable of and is a great please to go for support from other owners. The Outlander PHEV is a great car and I highly recommend it. Give it a try when buying your next car. You won’t be disappointed.